Conveyer



A. W. LEMMON QcblO, 1944.

' convmnn Filed April 1 1, 1940 j/Vl/f/VTOQ: ALEXIS-W. LEMMONQ Patented Oct. 10, 1944 CONVEYER Alexis W. Lemmon, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeflrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application April 11, 1940, Serial No. 329,136

" (Cl. its-1'30) mechanism and extending between the sprockets This invention relates to a conveyer particularly of the scraper type, and in the preferred embodiment thereof which is disclosed the working leg of the conveyer is of the totally enclosed-type.

An object of the invention is to produce an, improved and simple conveyer of the above mentioned type- Another object of the invention is to provide a simple conveyer of the type above mentioned which will readily discharge material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor mechanism of improved and simple structure for conveying material, particularly by scraping action from one position to another position where it is discharged.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawing, A

Fig. 1 is a side elevatlonal view with parts shown in section illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing mechanism for discharging the material at the discharge point; r

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of one complete link of a. conveyer chain and one of the conveyer flights, in a section conveyer: a

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the flights show ing the chain in section and also the workingleg of the conveyer;

Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the flights and a part of the conveyer chain and the working leg of the casing which is in section;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the drive sprocket taken on the line 8-4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 'l-i of Fi 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, there is seen in Fig. 1 a total enclosing casing or housof the working leg of the ing Ill formed by a working leg or tube H and a spaced sprocket teeth it between which the links ii of an endless conveyer chain I! travel, said chain I'l forming a draft means of the conveying It and It.

The head sprocket I6 is driven from a motor l8 by chain and sprocket drive mechanism is. Material is fed into the feed section of said casing or housing i0 byway of openings 20, 20 which permit material to be fed from hopper 2| laterally into the path of the conveying mechanism.

A ridged partition or roof 48 in the feed hopper protects the conveyer mechanism from the weight of' the material in said hopper, thereby reducing the wear on the chain i1 and easing II). To each sloping side 49 of ridged roof 48 is ad- Justably fixed a meting plate 50 adjustable to vary the size of the adjacent feed opening 20 to permit a predetermined variable amount of material to be fed laterally into the path of the conveying mechanism to each side thereof, as shown by referring to Fig. 7.

In the preferred embodiment, 1 construct the hopper 2! with a vertical partition 5i extending from the ridged roof 48 to the top of said hopper, and in conjunction with meting plates 5|] permit diirerent materials to be handled at the same time or at diflerent times. That is, a different material in any desired proportions, may be fed to each side of said vertical partition 4|. Of

. course, similar materials may be fed to both sides of said hopper. The ridged roof 48 and the parts associated therewith including the meting plates 50 are disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 40 ,107, filed July 26, 1941, and issued January 18, 1944, as Patent No. 2,339,491.

To provide simple means to convey material received at the foot end of said casing or housing I0 and discharge it to opening 22, which simple means also will insure a complete discharging of the material while effecting an efficient movement thereof through the working leg I i of said casing I0, I provide flights 23 which preferably substantially fill the working leg ll between the inlet opening 24 forming one extremity thereof and a discharge opening 22 forming the other extremity thereof. The flights 23 consequently act to convey material along the interior surface of the working leg ll of the casing ID with the forward or working face 25 supporting or pushing the material being conveyed as the chain I1 moves through the working leg II in the 'direc- 'tion of the arrow 28 or, in other words, moves to convey material from the inlet opening 24 toward the discharge opening 22. For many materials "the flights 23 need not be solid but may be perforated or generally open, but it is a desirable feature to have one or more peripheral edges such as one or more of the edges 21. 28 and 23 closely adjacent the interior surface of the working leg so that the material being conveyed cannot freely pass between said peripheral edges 21, 28 or 29, or one or more of them and the adjacent interior surface of the working leg H of casing Ill.

The flights 23 while moving in' an upward direction, for example, as while moving through the upright portion of the working leg M will convey the material largely independently of the scraping action between the periphery thereof and the interior surface of said leg I], but even here there is a certain amountof scraping conveying action by the cooperative action between the interior surface of said working leg II and the periphery of each flight 23. It is evident that in the construction illustrated the nights 23 would tend to swing to a non-conveying position under the influence of the material being conveyed unless mechanism were provided to prevent this.

During the travel of each flight 23 from the inlet opening 24 to the discharge opening 22, it is of course essential to maintain each flight 23 in a material conveying position, but it is desirable to permit it to swing to a non-conveying or material discharge position adjacent the discharge opening 22, and this action is provided by cooperatiing mechanism now to be described.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing, the chain links l5 are pivotally attached together by pivot pins 30. Flights 23 are also pivoted on each pin 30 or alternate pins 30, as desired, as by means of a pair of bosses 3|, 3| to which are attached trailing arms 32, 32 having sliding bearing surfaces 33, 33, which hearing surfaces 33, 33 are adapted to slide along stationary guide means 34 over which the working run of chain I! also slides and which maintain the working face 25 of each flight 23 substantially at right angles to the direction of travel of the chain |'I though said face may make either an acute or obtuse angle with respect thereto. In the preferred construction the guide means 34 is nothing more or less than a partition separating the return leg I2 from the working leg ll of casing I, but if desired wear strips may be added to form said uide means.

Adjacent the discharge opening 22, however, theguide means 34 are extended at 35 to provide for the swinging of the flights 23 to material discharging position adjacent said discharge opening 22. On the under side of working face 25 of flight 23 is formed an integral lug 41 which limits the downward swing of said flight by coming in contact with a chain link I. It may be further pointed out that the pivot pins 33 are held in position by means of an integrally forming lock key 36 which extends into a recess formed in the male member of each link I5, which recess may be aligned with similar recesses 33 in the female end of each link It only when adjacent links I6 are out of alignment and, for example, are bent to form an angle of substantially 90. Flight bosses 3| are similarly recessed at 33 to permit free insertion and removal of said pins 33.

It may additionally be pointed out that the head sprocket I4 is preferably provided with flanges 43, 43 adapted to receive the trailing arms 32 as the chain travels around said sprocket l4.

In the operation of the device the motor ll will drive the conveyer chain I! through the drive mechanism It so that the said chain travels .in the direction of the arrow 26. Material to be conveyed is delivered by the hopper 2| through the openings 20 and is conveyed rearwardly a short distance by the return run of the conveyer mechanism until it drops over the double partition seen at My formed in the horizontal section where the material is caught by the working run of the conveyor l1 and moved into the opening 24 of the working leg or tube The material is then conveyed along the horizontal portion of said working leg or tube II by the flights 23 which are connected at desired intervals to pivot pins 30.

The flights 23 are maintained in a working or material moving position in spite of the inwill be carried independently of the scraping action between the flights 23 and the interior surface of said working leg H, but this scraping action will still take place to some extent. If the conveyor is entirely horizontal no such carrying action will take place. As the material reaches the discharge opening 22 there will be a natural tendency for it to spill out and this will be appreciably enhanced and made substantially complete so as to avoid any appreciable carryover by virtue of the extension guide means," which permits the flights to assume a nonmaterial carrying position. When handling certain material there will be a tendency of the material to cling and not discharge freely from the working faces 25 of the flights 23 after said flights have assumed a discharge or non-conveying position. In such installations a flight wiper or scraper 42 will be positioned in the discharge opening 22 above the point of maximum tilt of flights 23 to scrape the faces thereof and dislodge any adhering material. The scraper 42 is U-shaped, and the outer ends of its arms 43 are hingedly or pivotally fixed to the casing Ill by the pivot pins or bolts 44. The cross piece 45, which is the scraper proper, is flxed to or is in tegral with the arms 43 and therewith form the U-shaped scraper 42. A stop 43 is fixed to each side of easing Ill and projects inwardly a sufficient distance to limit the pivotal movement of the scraper 42. When the arms 43 of scraper 42 are seated on the stops 46 the cross piece 45 is so positioned as to contact the working faces 25 of flights 23 subsequent to their assuming maximum tilt and as the chain ll with the flights 23 move upwardly past the scraper 42, the cross piece 45 by virtue of its contact with working faces 25 will drag across said faces dislodging any material thereon. The scraper will be lifted from its stops 46, being rotated on its pivots 44 as each flight 23 moves upwardly past said scraper which will seat itself on said stops after the passing of each flight. It will be understood that the wiper or scraper 42 will be used only when flights 23 are handling material of an adhering nature.

. Should any flight 23 fail to swing to a discharging position before reaching scraper 42, said scraper will act not only to scrape material from it but also to swing it into said discharging position.

It is evident that as each flight is pivoted along an axis adjacent its inner edge, the outer edge thereof will move downward as said flight assumes its discharging position, whereby the material will move over said flight away from the chain i1 and toward the discharge opening 22.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement means for moving said draft mechanism to convey material from said inlet opening toward said discharge opening, substantially flat material conveying flights extending substantially at right angles to saiddraft mechanism and pivotally attached to said draft mechanism and having a peripheral edge closely adjacent the interior surface of said casing so that the conveyed material cannot freely pass between said peripheral edge and said interior surface and constructed so that material on said flights has sliding contact over substantially the entire'p'eriphery of the interior of said casing, and cooperating mechanism ad- Jacent said discharge opening controlling the position of the flights thereby providing for pivotal movement of said flights with their outer edges below their inner edges as they reach said discharge position.

2; An elevator comprising a casing including a substantially entirely closed rising leg having an inlet and an outlet above the inlet; a descending leg; and a conveyer element comprising anendless chain mounted to move longitudinally of the casing. a plurality of conveyer flights pivoted on the chain and each approximately fltting the cross-section of the rising leg, and depending arms rigidly secured to the flights and adapted with their free ends to engage the rear wall of the rising leg or the conveyer casing, said wall being offset back adjacent the level of the discharge opening to permit the arms to swing and thus permit the flights to successively drop to a discharging position.

3. An elevator according to claim 2 in which there is provided a guide element engageable by the depending arms of the conveyer flights to tilt the flights back towards the horizontal position as they pass to the descending leg.

4. An elevator according to claim 2 in which the endless chain passes over a driving sprocket at the upper end of the casing and there is provided a guide element engageable by the depending arms 01' the conveyer flights to tilt the flights back towards the horizontal position as they pass 5. An elevator according to claim 2 in which the endless chain passes over a driving sprocket at the upper end of the casing and there is provided a guide element engageable by the depending arms of the conveyer flights to tilt the flights back towards the horizontal position as they pass to the descending leg, the said guide element being substantially concentric with the sprocket wheel and secured thereto.

6. A pusher type elevator comprising a casing including a'substantially entirely closed substantially upright rising leg having an inlet and an outlet above the inlet; a descending leg; and a conveyer element comprising an endless chain mounted to move longitudinally of the casing, a plurality of conveyer flights pivoted on the chain, and means carried by the flights engaging the rear wall of said rising leg to maintain the flights in substantially horizontal position when passing up the rising leg, said wall being ofiset rearwardly adjacent the level of the discharge opening, to enable the wall engaging means to swing and thus the flights to tilt downwardly to a discharging position when the outlet is reached.

7. A conveyer including a casing having an upwardly extending substantially entirely enclos-.

ing leg and an outlet, draft mechanism in said casing comprising an endless chain mounted to move longitudinally of the leg, a head sprocket for said draft mechanism, a plurality of substantially flat conveyer flights pivoted on the chain and extending substantially at right angles thereto, each flight approximately fltting the crosssection of the leg, and movable means positioned below said head sprocket for engaging the flights adjacent the outlet to aid the discharge of material.

8. A conveyer including a casing having an enclosing upwardly extending working leg leading to a discharge opening, ahead sprocket above said discharge opening, endless conveyer draft means adapted to travel through said leg and over said head sprocket, a substantially flat material moving flight extending substantially at right angles to said conveyer draft means and pivoted to said draft means and constructed so that its outer edge scrapes material over the outer casing wall, and cooperating mechanism adjacent said discharge opening controlling the position of the flight and thereby providing for pivotal movement of said flight with its outer edge below its inner edge as it reaches said discharge position.

9. An elevator comprising a casing including a substantially entirely closed rising leg having an inlet and an outlet above the inlet; a descending leg; and a conveyer element comprising an endless chain mounted to move longitudinally o! the casing, a plurality of conveyer flights pivoted on the chal and depending arms rigidly secured to the fli ts and adapted with their free ends to engage the rear wall or the rising legoi' the conveyer casing. said wall being oflset back ad- .iacent the level of the discharge opening to permit the arms to swing and thus permit the flights to successively drop to a discharging position.

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